Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-06-29
THE COMSTOCK HORROR.
scenes and Incidents All Hope OF
Reaching the Imprisoned Miners Alive
Abandoned.

From the Virginia New Enterprise.l
On the 400 level Joncy Morgan,
John Trounce, Bob Bruce, George
Carpenter and Aady Bean were work
ing. 1t is not known what warning
they might have had of the ,mpend.
ing calamity, but it is evident that
they made strong effort to escape
their doom. They climbed a winze
over a 100 feet to the old Gould and
Curry drain tunnel, now belonging to
the water company, the mouth or out
let OF which is several hundred wards
east OF town, near the old Mint mine.
The parties who went to their rescue
through this tunnel were repeatedly
driven back by the dense, sitting
smoke, but finally succeeded in find
ing Morgan and Bean lying near each
other. Morgan was within so feet of
a door 600 feet from the mouth of the
tunnel, which would have saved him
could he have reached it. The other
three men were lying close together,
about 100 feet further west. Some
of them were said to have shown
signs of life after being brought out,
but they we're completely and fatally
asphy xated by the fearful smoke and
gas, as notwithstanding the best eff
forts of the medical men of this city
to rescusltate them, they died. All
were men in the prime of life. Bean
was about 40 years of age, and leaves
a wife and eight children. Morgan
was less than 80 years Of age and
leaves a young wife.
F. H. Graebner, who was with his
comrades on the 1900 level gave
graphic account Of their fight from
the fire to an Enterprise reporter. 81
was working away" said he, "when
all of a sudden somebody shifted
smoke. / paid no attention to it,
thinking that it was, as is frequently
the case, black foul smoke from blasts.
1t rapidly grew stronger, and my
partner cried out by Jerusalem, the
mine is afre.' 1t was scarcely min
ute after when the sickening gas came
upon us. l told him to run for the
shaft and sound 10 bells-the usual
danger signal -while would run
back in the drift and warn our COM
rades. The lights were all out and
we had even to feel our way on to the
cage"
CAN THEY BE SAVED?
The boys at the Curry are making
the most heroic efforts to save their
fellow miners. The air compressor
and air transmitter are being run at
increased speed and cold water sent
down the shaft pipe in abundance.
One of the Oldest and most sagacious
miners around the Curry, when ques-
toned regarding the probable fate of
the imprisoned men, said:
"According to our theory, the FIRE
is in such locality, relative to them,
that SO long as we can keep those
two going (pointing to the air pumps
and water pipes) they will lack moth
ing but food; and surely we ought to
be able to do something for them, in
side of few days, provided air and
water hold out"
INCIDENTS OF THE FIRE.
While the smoke was thickest in
the hosting works, some one on the
800 level rang the bell several times
for the cage. 1t was standing a,
that level at the time, but the smoke
was so dense that the miners could
not see it. They escaped through the
Savage.
Superintendent Patton, whose he
roic efforts on behalf of unfortunate
miners in the past are we'll remem
bered, has been doing grand worl
ever since the fire occurred. 1t viii
take him about "A hours to cut through
the 20 feet of rock, on which hi
best miners are working.
When the Enterprise went to pres
this morning large party of sturd.
miners were waiting at the Bonnie
shaft to assist in the rescue of the 81,
imprisoned men. But where candl,
won't burn even a brave man can
live.
IMPRISONED, PERHAPS DEAD.
The names of the six miners on thu
/